Section 459A.085 - City, county authority to issue collection service franchises; opportunity to recycle; rates(1) The Legislative Assembly finds that providing for collection service including but not limited to the collection of recyclable material as part of the opportunity to recycle is a matter of statewide concern.(2) The exercise of the authority granted by this section is subject to ORS 221.735 and 459.085(3).(3) It is the intent of the Legislative Assembly that a city or county may displace competition with a system of regulated collection service by issuing franchises which may be exclusive if service areas are allocated. The city or county may recognize an existing collection service. A city or county may award or renew a franchise for collection service with or without bids or requests for proposals.(4) In carrying out the authority granted by this section, a city or county acts for and on behalf of the State of Oregon to carry out: (a) The purposes of ORS 459.015;(b) The requirements of ORS 459.005, 459.015, 459.035, 459.250, 459.992(1) and (2), 459.995 and 459A.005 to 459A.665;(c) Waste reduction programs; and(d) The state solid waste management plan.(5) After October 15, 1983, a city or a county may continue, extend or renew an existing franchise or grant a new franchise for collection service. If a city or county, in furtherance of ORS 459.005 to 459.426, 459.705 to 459.790 and 459A.005 to 459A.665, has granted a collection service franchise before October 15, 1983, it may treat the franchise as if adopted under this section.(6)(a) If a collection service franchise is continued, extended, renewed or granted on or after October 15, 1983, the opportunity to recycle shall be provided to a franchise holder's customers no later than July 1, 1986. This subsection does not apply to that portion of the opportunity to recycle provided at or in connection with a disposal site under ORS 459.250.(b) The opportunity to recycle may be provided by:(A) The person holding the franchise;(B) Another person who provides the opportunity to recycle to the franchise holder's customers; or(C) A person who is granted a separate franchise from the city or county solely for the purpose of providing the opportunity to recycle.(c) In determining who shall provide the opportunity to recycle, a city or county shall first give due consideration to any person lawfully providing recycling or collection service on June 1, 1983, if the person continues to provide the service until the date the determination is made and the person has not discontinued the service for a period of 90 days or more between June 1, 1983, and the date the city or county makes the determination.(7) In granting a collection service franchise, the city or county may: (a) Prescribe the quality and character of and rates for collection service and the minimum requirements to guarantee maintenance of service, determine level of service, select persons to provide collection service and establish a system to pay for collection service.(b) Divide the regulated area into service areas, grant franchises to persons for collection service within the service areas and collect fees from persons holding such franchises.(8) The rates established under this section shall be just and reasonable and adequate to provide necessary collection service. The rates established by the city or county shall allow the person holding the franchise to recover any additional costs of providing the opportunity to recycle at the minimum level required by ORS 459.005, 459.015, 459.035, 459.250, 459.992(1) and (2), 459.995 and 459A.005 to 459A.665 or at a higher level of recycling required by or permitted by the city or county. The rates shall also allow the person to recover the costs of education, promotion and notice of the opportunity to recycle provided by a person holding a franchise.(9) Instead of providing funding for the opportunity to recycle through rates established pursuant to subsection (8) of this section, a city or county may provide an alternative method of funding all or part of the opportunity to recycle.(10) In establishing service areas, the city or county shall consider: (a) The policies contained in ORS 459.015;(b) The requirements of ORS 459.250 and 459A.005 to 459A.665;(c) Any applicable local or regional solid waste management plan approved by the Department of Environmental Quality;(d) Any applicable waste reduction plan approved by the department; and(e) The need to conserve energy, increase efficiency, provide the opportunity to recycle, reduce truck traffic and improve safety.(11) A city or county may further restrict competition by permitting one or more collection service franchise holders to cooperate to provide the opportunity to recycle if the city or county finds that such cooperation will: (a) Improve collection service efficiency;(b) Guarantee an adequate volume of material to improve the feasibility and effectiveness of recycling;(c) Increase the stability of recycling markets; or(d) Encourage joint marketing of materials or joint education and promotion efforts.(12) The provisions of this section are in addition to and not in lieu of any other authority granted to a city or county. A city or county's exercise of authority under this section is not intended to create any presumption regarding an activity of the local government unit not addressed in this section. This section shall not be construed to mean that it is the policy of Oregon that other local government activities may not be exercised in a manner that supplants or limits economic competition. Formerly 459.200; 1993 c.560 §84